Invention Developer in Clearwater Looking For Next Big Thing

By Mark Wilson, Fox 13 News

February 8, 2017, Clearwater, FL (FOX13)-- It's hard to imagine, but household product names like OxiClean™, Flex Seal and Swiffer were once just ideas born from necessity and convenience. With millions of people coming up with new ideas every day, the task of turning a good idea into a saleable product may seem daunting, but a Clearwater company is helping inventors remove the guess-work.

Several creators have already claimed their success with the help of CMS WorldGroup. Pinellas County inventor believes she may have the next big thing.

"One of the things we found very quickly was that there was a need for services for inventors to be able to take their products and ideas and turn them into reality," said CMS WorldGroup President and CEO, Charles Ferrer.

But there's an important question to answer before that happens.

"The first thing we are analyzing is, do we think the product makes sense? If the product makes sense, and we thank we can manufacture it, we'll tell the inventor that we can do that for you," said Ferrer.

Inventor Tiffanie Lopatin says having an invention one-stop-shop right in her backyard has been very helpful and she's reaping the rewards. She was inspired by her dog - and struggling with car seat covers to keep her dog's fur at bay - to create a solution.

"I bought other car seat covers and they were hard to install. They weren't machine washable. They were super challenging for me," said Lopatin.

Lopatin came up with Seat 'Em - strapless seat covers that go right in the washer.